Reflecting on the past
Written by ACUVA President Yan Shao in January 2025
Reflecting on the journey of ACUVA / Junwei Children Cancer Foundation, a non-profit organization founded 5 years ago
That moment planted the seed for everything we’ve accomplished since. It was just about solving one problem - saving lives from Covid in the town where I grew up. What started as providing PPE to medical professionals has grown into a mission of inspiring Asian Americans to give back to the community, touching lives in ways I never imagined. The turning point came when I learned about the lack of resources in Asia for families affected by Soft Tissue Sarcoma, including Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) and my own friend’s 8-year-old son lost his battle with RMS in 2019 due to missing short window of treatment opportunity, watching their family endure the unimaginable—the pain, the desperate search for hope It was impossible to ignore. From that moment our mission has evolved into providing a volunteering platform to mobilize Asia Americans to give back to our own community especially in the fight against childhood cancer and public health challenges.
Over last 5 years, to enhance the quality of care for these unfortunate patients who are mostly children or young adults, we
● hosted a quarterly cross-border conference on Soft Tissue Sarcoma and Osteosarcoma, fostering collaboration and communication among experts in China and abroad specializing in the treatment of RMS (Rhabdomyosarcoma)
● coordinated long-distance second-opinion consultations with major U.S. cancer centers, providing tailored RMS treatment plans to guide Chinese physicians and improve patient outcomes
● facilitated advanced treatment by bringing RMS children to the United States for specialized care or clinical trial
● supported families of terminally ill RMS children by providing end-of-life care funds to ensure their loved ones could pass peacefully and with dignity
For me, this mission isn’t just about volunteering—it’s about empowerment, it’s about reminding ourselves that we have the strength and capacity to uplift one another. By tackling issues important to the Asian Americans community together, we’re not just solving problems; we’re reclaiming the power of our community!